Protest against infant circumcision in Washington, DC

by Tally on March 21, 2010

I grew up in the 60s. But, I was young enough at that time that the cultural happenings were not on my radar. For example, I had just turned 7 when President Kennedy was assassinated. My only recollection of the event is a memory of wondering why all the grownups were watching a boring show on television. The Summer of Love (1967) found me as an 11 year old. That, as did all the Vietnam War protests, happened when I was too young to appreciate what was going on.

The protest era of the 60s is long gone. But that is not to say that the need has passed. The need for social change is just as great today as then.

The protest era of the 60s was remarkable because so many people were willing to speak out to support their beliefs. The protests, demonstrations, and marches, although maybe not as great in number, still continue.

One upcoming protest starts on Friday, March 26. The protest against infant circumcision is a demonstration in support of genital integrity. A march to the White House is planned for Wednesday afternoon. The demonstration ends on April 1, the beginning of the National Child Abuse Prevention Month.

Like the protests of the 60s, people will be taking to the streets carrying signs. They will be letting the world know about the harms that we inflict upon our own children. And, like the protests of the 60s, I am going to miss out this year.

I am self-employed and, unfortunately, cannot break free this year. But, I support their effort. For those that can attend, the 17th Annual Demonstration/March Against Circumcision is scheduled from March 26 to April 1, 2010. Everyone is asked to meet at the West side of the US Capitol between 9am and late evening.

On March 30, a march to the White House will start at 4pm. In 1997, the federal female genital mutilation bill was enacted. The march is held on the 13th anniversary of that historic date. It is hoped that sometime in the near future that we will be able to celebrate the enactment of a genital mutiliation bill that is gender neutral, that is, one that protects both girls and boys.

Comments

We shall work together and should show strong and recognized activism, commonly a serious men's right issue of modifying their identity. The Male Circumcision for HIV prevention program is totally a human rights violoation since there are very less recognized men's righs laws.
But it is being promoted strongly by the powerfull global organizations such as UN. Since UN is strongly talking Gender Equality, it has a total discrimination policy against men, because it does always talk women right as gender right.

Immediate action should be taken to legalalize and officially recognize well defined men's rights.

There is no medical condition that indicates immediate circumcision for a prepubescent boy. Unfortunately, the US medical industry prefers to cut boys because it is easy money for them. They often falsely diagnose phimosis and recommend circumcision even though phimosis has less invasive treatments that should be used before surgery.

So youre admitting that you abused your child? Good...thats the first step. Did your son ask to have his penis cut up? Did you respect his rights to his body? Did you respect his first amendment rights to freedom of religion? If you ask any grown man over the age of 18 if he would like to slice up parts of his dick for your religion...theyd tell you to go fuck yourself for being a masochistic, assault with a deadly weapon, sexual deviant and pervert. Cutting up boys genitals...for your own self-gratification...is morally reprehensible and illegal by at least a half dozen laws. Its just sad the government can be so hypocritical when it comes to defending our rights. I hope someday someone holds you down and cuts you up, so you can appreciate the monstrous pain you put your own child through...the one you dared to say you loved...then paid someone to cut him up. Its blasphemous...to destroy Gods perfect Image. We were made in His Divine Image, and you are no one to question Him.

"Its blasphemous...to destroy Gods perfect Image. We were made in His Divine Image, and you are no one to question Him."

In your ignorance, you say for no one to question God, however, God says we are to question! Even if that were not the case, you still fail-because who the hell are you to be so arrogant and presumptious as to know what God's thinking is? We were created in His image. Did you fail to read the book of Exodus where circumcision is a sign of the covenant between God and man? Next time you want to spout religion, do your homework.

Having said that, let me say this: Jesus Christ's death did away with the old covenant with man, and through His death was made the new covenant with man. Jesus paid the price with His blood. Those who wish to circumcise their sons in the name of religion are free to do so-but it is not required today. It is the duty of every parent to make decisions, sometimes hard ones, for the child who clearly cannot even have an opinion. In protecting their child, in their eyes and most of the eyes of the world, by having the child circumcised, the parent is doing right. Especially if the child's doctor says it is for health reasons that there is a need for circumcision.

Child abuse this is not. I would be willing to bet that the people who treat child abuse victims are outraged at this comment. When done in infancy, such as my son having it done the second day of his life, it poses no pain for the child. My son literally slept through it. Studies have been done to show this. I was a victim of child abuse and the scars I have are way worse than any scar from circumcision. In my opinion, and yes this is opinion, anyone who has a problem with a decision their parent made when they were too young to know the difference has way too much interest in their penis. Maybe this interest is a form of scar from the person who was sexually abused as a child. In my reality, no one sits around discussing their penises. Even my gay friends do not sit discussing it.

I'll leave you with just one parting shot-you sound like a teenager who cannot control himself. By your words I see an impetuous child... certainly no MAN in maturity level. Stop your whining and snivelling. There is a reason there are barely any people in your group.

You are correct, the vast majority of people against infant circumcision are women and intact men. There are some circumcised men against circumcision, me for example. Recently, more men are beginning to realize the harm caused them by their circumcision and are joining the fight for genital integrity for all. The Internet is educating a lot of men, particularly young men.

The webpage Vulnerability of Men describes one possible reason many circumcised men see nothing wrong with circumcision. I notice that it is men in their 30s that are most susceptible to thinking that their circumcised penis is the best thing out there. Many are adament that they prefer their circumcised penis, even though they have no idea what it would be like to have their natural penis with a foreskin.

Younger men are more open to learning about the anatomy of the penis and recognizing that infant circumcision removed erogenous tissue and destroyed the gliding function. Many older men realize that they are enjoying sex less as they get older and are open to learning why. These are the men who are restoring their foreskin and experiencing the increased sexual pleasure a foreskin gives.

I am looking for someone to do an expose' on a custom. I am a nurse in newborn nursery. The pain that sweet tiny baby boys go through during a circumcision horrifies me. It is surgery without anesthesia. It is 10 minutes of pure hell. The pain is so horrendous that many babies go into shock immediately. They just stare and make gurgly noises. They are the lucky ones. The others remain perfectly aware of the pain that goes on and on. Their piercing screams haunt me.

In history, the earliest surgery was done without anesthesia. Just tie them down and do it quick. Some people were willing to have surgery once. But I've read that people refused to endure surgery a second time - even if it meant death. They knew how severe the pain was, and decided they would rather die than endure that pain a second time.

How can intelligent, educated people not realize that a scalpel causes a horrendous, sharp, excruciating pain that no human being should ever have to endure. Tell me how a custom can be so strong that it overpowers intelligence and common sense.

For example, the Chinese custom of "binding" young girls' feet. The toes were forced down under the foot [ breaking bones, I believe ] and tightly bound forever. So the feet couldn't grow. Forever small. Big feet were considered UGLY. No one would marry a girl with big feet. Can you imagine the pain? Americans are not under the influence of Chinese customs and from a distance, we are apalled! But in China, even after a law was passed against foot-binding, some parents would still do it - knowing that they were going to prison. That is how strong a custom can be. It can cloud judgement.

The pain of circumcision wouldn't be quite as bad if the foreskin was fully developed at birth. But it is still adhered to the glans [ head of the penis ] and does not separate naturally for several years. Mother Nature may be slow, but it produces an exquisitely sensitive sexual organ.

The first step of a circumcision is to rip the adhered foreskin off the glans using a metal probe. But the two skins are still fused as one. And patches of skin are ripped off the glans in the process. I see the glans of these tiny penises with skin missing and the tissue exposed every day. The pain is supposed to be comparable to having a metal probe forced under your fingernail and ripping it back and forth until the fingernail comes off. Imagine the pain! It is now recommended that a pain block be used. But it is not a law. So only a few babies get it.

So why do we do it? Because it is what we are used to. A custom. Explain that to a baby that is enduring a pain that no human being should ever have to endure!

There are many other reasons not to circumcise. It is removing the best skin of the penis. The foreskin contains approx. 20,000 specialized nerves that enhance sexual pleasure. The skin remaining is crude and has only a fraction of the sensation. The foreskin is NOT extra skin. It is there so that the penis can get longer during an erection. It is designed to unfold and stretch out, allowing the penis to grow. In the process, the foreskin is pulled off the glans. The glans is then uncovered and now the intact penis looks the same as a circumcised penis. They end up looking the same during an erection. But the intact penis is larger and has more sensation.

Over the years, doctors have invented excuses for circumcision and the public latches onto them. These excuses are false and misleading. There is no reason good enough to inflict such sharp, excruciating pain on someone you love. To forever decrease his sexual pleasure. To amputate the best, most sensitive part of his penis. To violate his human rights.

As I watch parents hug and kiss their new babies. Then insist that their babies endure a pain that is comparable to a fingernail being ripped off with a metal probe. And then a scalpel cuts - with no anesthesia. I want to scream, "Do you love your baby, or hate him?"

There are many organizations that would help you with an expose'. They are easy to find on the internet. Please help! Babies are weak. This custom is strong.

Give liberty to women by giving liberty Too men. They cut off way too much Foreskin and people are shy to talk about it. The Real Cure is the Condom. Or a little soapy water fixes all these problems.
What they don’t tell you about circumcision: There is a service called, “IntactCare.org” Education about intact care is so important and would save so much pain. Foreskin removal is an almost guarantee that the males won’t give females diseases and will give males erectile dysfunction. Over 100 babies per year die of foreskin removal. Why is Orgasm wrong? Are you just a yes person for the Catholic Church; that allows you to live profitably like a good little sheep? Foreskin mutilation people are two embarrassed or uneducated to talk about something that is important in satisfying there partner. On the web site it says. ‘That without foreskin women loose 80% of the experience.” So a doctor will come in and say he will do a little procedure and the Mom will say it’s okay and a few minutes later it will be done, like a thief in the night. That they leave a 3” wide scare that won’t allow you to masturbate properly, also won’t quit during times that you don’t want it, during your puberty years. Dr. Dean Odell said, ‘It’s wrong.’ Proper discussion wouldn’t hurt anyone and maybe better resolutions would be done. I guess the old establishment is always right. Or gives a lot to the 1st. born or takes away the 1st. born, so it is written or so it is said? I’ve always thought they removed too much skin and people would always laugh, when you question what this is about. Now that I see sometimes; how unkind and stupid people are, I guess they didn’t hear the word rude in the bible, I suppose this is a spiritual gift many people get except it really is bondage. The invention of the condom protection did two things 1.) Keeps people from having babies 2.)Circumcision is an ancient rite but, it’s wrong>A ritual worth stopping. It decreases the spread of disease. Foreskin is a very useful and valuable part of the body part that most Adult men do not want to give up. Why don’t you look up the demographics? Please stop this unethical unnecessary procedure. WWW.intactAmerica.org or look up youtube=circumcision-Assault on Male 3-parts, also www.crispe.org.

My parents do not use my penis. I do. My parents do not live with my penis. I do. It is my body, my choice. That choice was taken away from me and I do not like it. It is not OK to cut on a baby boys sex organ unless there is an urgent medical problem that needs to be fixed.

It is not the parents' place to decide on body modifications for their children. If parents circumcised their daughters, they would be arrested. If parents tattoo their children, they are arrested. If someone tied down an adult and circumcised him without his permission, they would be arrested and/or sued. Parents do not have absolute power of their children. There are some things parents cannot do. Male infant circumcision should be one of those things, too.

Who is this guy?

Restoring Tally is just an ordinary guy who had to confront his prostate and circumcision problems. This site chronicles his journey in dealing with these issues. He has had prostate surgery and he is restoring his foreskin.